The Robert and Phyllis
Carter Award is presented annually to cemetery enthusiast(s) for
outstanding contributions to restore and maintain Iowa cemeteries or
to educate others about the importance of cemetery preservation. The
Robert Carter
Memorial Award was established in 1996 and was presented annually by Phyllis Carter of Washington, Iowa, in
memory of her late husband. Phyllis Carter died May 19, 2007, and the
Award, in both their names, continues to be sponsored by the State Association for the Preservation of
Iowa Cemeteries (SAPIC). If you are nominating someone for the Robert
Carter Award, please send the nomination to Pat Shaw. Past recipients choose the
award winner each July.
AWARD CRITERIA
1. The award shall be called the Robert L. and Phyllis Carter Award.
2. The Robert L. and Phyllis Carter Memorial Award shall be given only once each year.
3. The State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries President shall appoint an Ad Hoc committee of the Board of Trustees to act as an Awards Selection Committee. This Awards Selection Committee shall serve a term of one year, although individual Board members may be appointed to it for succeeding years.
4. The Award Selection Committee shall come to a decision prior to each State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries’ annual meeting as to whether or not an award shall be given that year, and if so, to whom and what.
5. The Award Selection Committee shall make its recommendation to the full Board of Trustees at the Board meeting immediately preceding the State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries’ annual meeting.
6. Eligibility for the Robert L. and Phyllis Carter Memorial Award:
a. any individual, group, association, organization, institution, or governmental agency
or unit is eligible for consideration.
b. to be considered for the award, a nominee must have demonstrated an
achievement or activity above and beyond what is expected under ordinary
circumstances.
c. a nominee must have been involved in or responsible for an achievement or
activity that significantly extends or expands the education about preservation, protection, maintenance, appreciation, or understanding of Iowa cemeteries,
graveyards, burying grounds, single burials, monuments, tombs, mausoleums,
grave markers, or other aspects of material culture related to or associated with
Iowa cemeteries.
d. one award may be given for service; one award for cemetery education.
7. Any member of the State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries, including
Board members, may nominate persons or other eligible recipients as described in 6a.
8. Members of the State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries, including Board members, are eligible to receive the Robert L. and Phyllis Carter Memorial Award.
9. Nominations for the Robert L. and Phyllis Carter Memorial Award shall include in order to be eligible:
a. a letter naming the nominee that summarizes the relevant achievement or activity, and signed by the nominator.
b. at least one letter of support from a person or group other than a member of the
State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries.
c. appropriate supporting materials such as photographs, newspaper articles,
printed matter, or other documentation explaining the relevant achievement or
activity and its significance.
10. Nominations must be in the hands of the Award Selection Committee no later than 90 days prior to the State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries’ annual meeting.
11. The Robert L. and Phyllis Carter Memorial Award shall be presented to the recipient at the annual meeting of the State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries, or at
another time deemed appropriate.
Adopted at the July 10, 1999 Meeting. Criteria prepared by Loren Horton.

Robert
and Phyllis Carter Award
Recipients

The 2014 Carter Award was received by Ron Chamberlain. Ron Chamberlain organized a meeting of people interested in pioneer cemeteries in 2010. Ron states “The towns are gone. The roads are gone. The history…is in those tombstones.”
He organized the Western Iowa Pioneer Cemetery Association which has more than 100 members who have restored 30 – 35 pioneer cemeteries in Harrison, Shelby, Pottawattamie, Monona and Crawford Counties. He will use the $200.00 dollar award at the Corley Cemetery in Shelby County.

The members of the Tama County Pioneer Cemetery Commission received the 2010 Robert and Phyllis Carter Award at the Oct. 9th meeting. The original members of the Tama County Pioneer Cemetery Commission were nominated for the Carter Award by Gerald Kopriva of Clutier, Iowa, for their outstanding work in restoring, maintaining, and educating the public about the 28 pioneer cemeteries in Tama County. The members honored in October in Tama County were Joyce Wiese, Ardene Cross, Frank Adair, Loren Emke, and David Currell. Their example is an inspiration to all citizens in Iowa who value its sacred and historical burial sites and who realize the importance of honoring our pioneer forebearers.

The Upah Family received the 2010 Robert and Phyllis Carter Award at the Oct. 9th meeting for their service. Bob, Betty and Mark Upah were nominated for the Carter Award by the Poweshiek County Pioneer Cemetery group for their volunteer work in cleaning the Blake Cemetery that is located on their land in Poweshiek County. They also erected a sign and a flag pole and have planted tulips bulbs and mowed the cemetery regularly. The American flag flies continually at the site. The pioneer spirit truly lives on as they maintain this family farm with an old pioneer cemetery on the hill.

The 2009 Robert and Phyllis Carter
Award winners were Steve and Kathy Francis of Creston in Union County,
who have done restoration work at the Claypool Cemetery. They were
also instrumental in acquiring and installing signs for all the
cemeteries in Union County. Steve sprays several cemeteries each
summer to control weeds, using his own time and equipment. The Award
was presented on October 10, 2009.

Wayne Blessing of Zearing was awarded the 2008 Robert and Phyllis Carter
Award for his restoration work in the Price Cemetery in Marshall County.

The 2007 Robert and Phyllis Carter Education Award
was presented to Don Wentworth at the Reed Cemetery in Jackson County, Saturday, Sept. 22. Don is
an active member of the Jackson County Pioneer Cemetery Commission and has
helped with the preservation projects at numerous pioneer cemeteries in the
county and has assisted the group and the Jackson County Historical Society in
developing tours of these cemeteries. Each of these tours has coincided with the
release of the first three "Stone Cities" books, which Don researched,
organized, compiled and then published at the Jackson County Historical Society.
The fourth "Stone Cities" book was written with assistance from the North Bend
Writer's Group and focuses specifically on the Spragueville Cemetery, and the
two smaller pioneer cemeteries of Summer Hill and Russell Farm located in
the immediate area. Don gives presentations in
cemeteries, museums, and schools to persons of all ages.

On Saturday, Oct. 13, 2007, the Robert and Phyllis Carter
Service Award was presented to Ed Strellner of Benton County at the
Belle Plaine Area Historical Museum. Ed wasn't able to attend because of a
family emergency so Gene Davis, pictured, accepted the award on his behalf. Ed
helped establish the Benton County Pioneer Cemetery Commission in 2002. Ed was
nominated for the Robert Carter Award because of his contribution in restoring
and maintaining the pioneer cemeteries of Benton County and also in helping to
educate others about the importance of cemetery preservation.

Robert
Carter Award Winners

Left to right: Willis, Carol, and Brian Hoffman received the 2006
Robert Carter Award on July 8, at Bloomfield, Iowa. They were
instrumental in the formation of the Davis County Pioneer Cemetery
Commission, have organized numerous fundraisers for cemetery restoration
in that county, and actively worked with their local state legislators
to get language inserted in the Iowa Code that allows preservationists
access to landlocked cemeteries. Pat Shaw, SAPIC president, right,
presented the award.

2004 The Fayette County Pioneer Cemetery Commission
was presented with the Robert Cater Award Saturday, Oct. 10,
2004, at Mount Pleasant Cemetery northeast of West Union, one of
the many pioneer cemeteries the commission has restored.

Mike Magee of Waterloo in Blackhawk County, Iowa
received the 2003 Robert Carter Award on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003, for
his considerable restoration and preservation of the Bennington
Township Cemetery. Magee, right, is pictured with Phyllis
Carter.

2001 Calvin McVay of Winterset. received the Robert
Carter Award. Calvin died April 11,
2005.

2000Keith Street of Wapello, one of the founders of
SAPIC, received the Robert Carter Educational Award for his "outstanding efforts in education in the
preservation of Iowa cemeteries" Keith died Dec. 13, 2006.

2000 Henry and Doris Heaton received the Robert Carter
Service Award for their work in cemetery restoration (no photo available).

The winner of the1999 Robert Carter Award was Pat Palmer of Hampton.

Loren Horton of Iowa City, one of the founders
of SAPIC, won the
1998
Robert Carter Award.

Paul Maddy received the1997Robert Carter Award for
the many years he spent educating groups
about restoring cemeteries.

1996 Dean Gipple of Columbus Junction, one of the
founders of SAPIC, worked diligently to get the original pioneer
cemetery legislation passed. He was the first Robert Carter
Award winner. Dean died Feb. 9, 2010.